Evergreen: The Story of a Forbidden Love that was so Beautiful and Right

by Clyde Hedges

Craig Sizemore is a troubled, frustrated seventeen year old beginning his senior year of high school. In his first period English Lit class he meets the school's new teacher, Ellen Wisely. Both are immediately drawn to each other. At first, they try to fight their magnetic attractaion. Craig begins to date Karen, who always feels that there is something between her boyfriend and their English teacher. As for Craig, he really cares about Karen and thinks of Miss Wisely as a woman he'll always love, but can never have. Then one night, Karen's old boyfriend returns to town and when Craig finds them together he turns to Miss Wisely for advice and help. In a few days, their love affair begins. What is right, and what is wrong? Evergreen considers these questions as it draws the reader into a beautiful romance which most people might consider wrong, but which was too right for either Ellen or Craig to deny.

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2014

About the author

I was born in Evansville, Indiana toward the end of WWII. As far as my childhood, it was typical of any child from a dysfunctional family. My parents had many reasons for their dysfunctions, the Depression, my grandfather deserting my grandmother and his children when my mother was two, combat fatigue for my father who was a wounded veteran, and scrimping and saving and barely getting by until their eldest sons left for the service. I am a four year Army veteran, but I was more fortunate than my father and never experienced combat.

I had three major ambitions in life, to be a teacher, serve in the army, and write. I've done all three, so when my time comes, I will be satisfied. Probably the best and third happiest event of my life was meeting my wife while I was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. We've been married now for 49 years, and it hasn't all been heavenly bliss as in most romance novels, but I've been happy, and my wife has always told me she was or is.

I rated meeting her as the third happiest thing in my life, the first two were the births of our daughters, Stacy and Kelly. We have one grandson, whom we dote upon continually, but I have to rate him fourth because you don't center your life around a grandchild as you do a child. I've also been happy with my family, and the many fine friends I've made over the years, and the many fine students I was blessed with during my teaching career.

My wife and I were both teachers, and that was a blessed calling. I loved to teach, and I loved so many of my students. Contrary to popular belief, most kids are good, and they want to be good, and they give school their all. I always tried to make my classes interesting and to show the relevance of what I was teaching to their lives. Where education in America breaks down is with the administration of American education. We need to better train our teachers on how to run a class, structure a classroom, and how to make their lessons pertinent to the lives their students are leading.

I was fortunate in that I taught in inner-city schools, and I saw first hand how tough life can be for so many young people. I was never bigoted; I was raised in a bigoted atmosphere, but I never bought into it. But if we are going to help our troubled students, then we have to give them an education that is best fitted for their learning style. I believe that will require more computerized testing for learning styles and computer lessons geared on an individual level for maximum learning.

I started to write, years ago, and I've written fourteen novels, and three short story collections, which I am in the process of learning how to market. In the end, I believe in the natural goodness of the majority of people, no matter what their race, religion, or color of their skin. I believe that our ethnic and racial diversity can be our greatest strength or our greatest weakness. Let's all work together for the future.